Railway tie



R. J. UPDIKE May 14, 1929.

RAILWAY TIE Filed July 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet gwuento'e Rudd she]: fi sda'ke,

R. J. UPDIKE May 14, 1929.

RAILWAY TIE Fild July 23, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I IIIIIII "Will/If I PadaZm/v J. Hedi/re,

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Patented May 14, 1929.

STATES RUDOLPH J". UPDIKE, OF STRASB'URG, VIRGINIA.

RAILWAY TIE.

Application filed July 23, 1928 Serial No. 294,728.

The present invention relates to improvements in railway ties, and is particularly directed to certain improvements in the type oi? metal tie disclosed in my U. S. Letters Patent l lo. 1,207,670dated December 5, 1916.

it general object of the present unprovement is to simplify and render more economical and ellicient metal ties of the above char acter by eliminating the yieldable blocks in the ends of the tie and substituting therefor improved means for reinforcing and limiting the yielding of the me when under the stress or strain of the rolling stock passing thereover.

Eli-ill another object is to provide improved means for effectively and expeditiously fastening the rails upon the tie by securing elements other than spikes, which may be readily and conveniently removed ifor iiac1l1tating renewal and repairof parts 1n track construction employing ties embodying the present invention.

it; more specific ob ect 15 to provide resilient sheet metal sleeves whichare snugly fitted within the ends of the tie and wh1ch coni'orm to the shape of the latter so as to constantly reinforce and control the ylelding thereof, the sleeves directly underlying the rails and coacting with screws and 011195 tor securing the rails in place. r

[E ther objects will become apparent as the ature of the invention is better understood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accom ianylng drawings and claimed. 1

lie the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view showing a series of ties constructed 1naccordance with the present invention, W1th rails secured thereon.

Figure 2 isva transverse section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a bottom plan View of the tie shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section of one of the ties taken on line H of Figure 1. a

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken upon line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing one of the ties in end elevation as seen looking toward the left of Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective View of one of the reinforcing sleeves.

As disclosed in my above mentioned Letters Patent, the present tie is constructed from a single sheet of suitable metal that is folded or shaped to form the tie with a horizontal flat top wall 5, parallel outwardly bulged side walls 6, and a flat bottom wall 7 parallel with the top wall 5. The meeting edges of the blank from which the tie is formed are arranged upon the bottom of the tie and preferably slightly spaced apart, although connected by transverse cleats 8, certain of which have depending flanges adapted to engage the ballast to prevent lateral shifting or creeping of the tie with respect to the rails. The tie is preferably formed from resilient metal, and it is thus apparent that the outwardly bulged side walls 6 will permit yielding of the tie when the same is subjected to pressure by the weight of the rolling stool: passing thereover.

Each ot'tlle side walls 6 of the tie adjacent the ends thereof is formed with a longitudinally extending slot 9, and adapted to be received in the tie and to be retained a suitable distance from the open ends thereof are resilient sheet metal sleeves 10. The sleeves 10 are preferably split longitudinally at the bottom as at 11 with the meeting edges spaced apart, the sleeves being snugly fitted within the tie and conforming to the shape 01 the latterso as to constantly reinforce and limit the yielding of the tie. The sleeves 10 are operativelydisposed so that their side walls partly close the slots 9, and formed in the side walls of the sleeves 10 are openings 12. It is thus apparent that a suitable instrument may be inserted through the slots 9 and engaged in the openings 12 to rempve the sleeves 10 from the tie when desire As mentioned above, the sleeves 10 are positioned directly below the rails 13 which rest upon and extend across the top wall of the tie, and fastened upon the top of the tie at opposite sides of the rails 13 are fastening clips 14 whose inner circle firmly and effectively engage over the base flanges of the rails as clearly shown in Figure 4. These clips 14 are secured to the tie at their outer ends by means of suitable bolts 15 which pass through openings in the clips and the top Wall 5 of the tie and have threaded engage ment in further openings 16 provided in the top wall of the adjacent sleeve 10. It is thus apparent that the clips 14' may be readily secured in place to fasten the rails upon the tie, the bolts 15 being applied without the fnecessity of reaching inside of the tie or handling separate nuts. To facilitate entering of the bolts 15 in the openings of the clips 14, the top wall5 of the tie and the top wall of the sleeve 10, the stems of said bolts 15 are provided with tapered or pointed ends as at 17 It will be apparent that the bolts 15 may be conveniently applied or removed,

thereby eliminating the objectionable splitting of wooden blocks, the time-consuming halting of the yielding of the tie as is the case with wooden blocks loosely fitted in tallic springswhich under many conditions place. Moreover, thesleeves 10 provide mewill be suflicient without the use of separate additional helical springs between the top 7 H and bottom walls of the tie.

However, such helical springs may be employed as indicated at 18 in track constructon where considerable load is constantly placed upon the rolling stock which passesover the tie; In "11S1Ilg the springs 18, one is'employed centrally of each sleeve between the top and bottom walls thereof and directly beneath the base of the rail 13 disposed thereabove.

'By the above construction objectionable sudden halting of the downward yielding of the .tieris avoided. Moreover, assembly and removal of parts is facilitated by a construction which is extremely light in weight, simple and durable in character and capable of economical manufacture. 45

From the above description it is believed that the construction as well as the advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art;

Minor changes maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. In combination, a railway tie formed from a. sheet of resilient metal and having its sides bulged outwardly and its mceling edges disposed centrally of its base, cleats arranged transversely of the tie and connecting the meeting edges thereof, resilient sheet metal sleeves snugly fitted in the ends of the tie, and means for securing rails upon the tie above said sleeves, said sleeves being formed from sheets of metal having their sides bulged outwardly and their meeting edges disposed in spaced relation centrally of the bases of the sleeves.

2. In combination, a railway tic formed from a sheet of resilient metal and having its sides bulged outwardly and its meeting edges disposed centrally of its base, cleats arranged transversely of the tie and connecting the meeting edges thereof, resilient sheet metal sleeves snugly fitted in the ends of the tie, and means for securing rails upon the tie above said sleeves, the sides of the tie being slotted at its ends at the sides of the sleeves, and the sides of the sleeves being provided with openings, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination, a railway tic formed from a. sheet of resilient metal and having its sides bulged outwardly and its meeting edges disposed centrally of its base, resilient sheet metal sleeves snugly fitted in the ends of the tie and having their sides bulged outwardly, means for securing rails upon the tie above said sleeves, and a spring disposed in each sleeve and exerting a tension between the top and bottom of the latter.

4. In combination, a railway tie formed from resilient sheet metal and having its sides bulged outwardly, and resilient split sheet metal sleeves snugly fitted in the ends of the tie and positioned to underlie the rails secured on the tie to limit yielding of the tie when the weight of rolling stock passes thereover, said resilient sleeves having outwardly bulged sides.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

RUDOLPH J. UPDIKE. 

